The Student Room Group

Writing outside the lines

So I heard that if I answer a question, for example in physics, and go over the number of lines, they won't mark what is outside of the space given. I've also heard if you draw out arrows and write a tiny "ANSWER CONTINUED BELOW" on the line, it does get marked.

So can you go outside the lines or will there be a problem? I'm doing the exams with CIE :smile: thanks a bunch!
You can't write outside of the lines as it won't be marked - they scan the papers in and any little annotations or arrows you've done won't be seen.

If you run out of space, you put your hand up, and the invigilator will come and give you some special exam board lined paper. You write in the margin of this paper the question number, and then you continue to answer the question on this paper.

At the end of the exam, you will be given treasury tags to attach this paper to your exam.
Reply 2
Original post by LeapingLucy
You can't write outside of the lines as it won't be marked - they scan the papers in and any little annotations or arrows you've done won't be seen.

If you run out of space, you put your hand up, and the invigilator will come and give you some special exam board lined paper. You write in the margin of this paper the question number, and then you continue to answer the question on this paper.

At the end of the exam, you will be given treasury tags to attach this paper to your exam.


Ahh, okay! Thank you so so much, I appreciate this a lot. My exam's in 8 days and I was really worried I wouldn't be able to get my answers in.
Original post by lunarr.
So I heard that if I answer a question, for example in physics, and go over the number of lines, they won't mark what is outside of the space given. I've also heard if you draw out arrows and write a tiny "ANSWER CONTINUED BELOW" on the line, it does get marked.

So can you go outside the lines or will there be a problem? I'm doing the exams with CIE :smile: thanks a bunch!


I am an AQA examiner. This is the biggest myth surrounding exams. Answers are scanned in the form of 'clips' and marked by us electronically. But if the examiner can see that the writing continues out of the box then they can either (a) select an option to see the entire script scanned in its entirely, like a facsimile or (b) if (a) doesn't work, escalate the paper to a specialist marker. The one thing they do not do is simply not mark whatever is outside the box!

It's best to keep your text in the box/lines because it them means nothing has to be escalated or faffed about with. The lines are there for a reason. :smile: If you find you are regularly needing to write outside the lines/box, this is usually indicative of poor exam technique - the boxes/lines are sized such that there is enough space to write a 'perfect' answer without waffle and repetition.
(edited 5 years ago)
I always ask for additional paper and write on it plus write out the question number/sentence so that the examiner knows
Original post by LeapingLucy
You can't write outside of the lines as it won't be marked - they scan the papers in and any little annotations or arrows you've done won't be seen.

If you run out of space, you put your hand up, and the invigilator will come and give you some special exam board lined paper. You write in the margin of this paper the question number, and then you continue to answer the question on this paper.

At the end of the exam, you will be given treasury tags to attach this paper to your exam.


This is totally wrong. Please have a look at my answer to the OP, so if it comes up again in another question you can give the correct answer :smile: Thanks.
Reply 6
Original post by Reality Check
I am an AQA examiner. This is the biggest myth surrounding exams. Answers are scanned in the form of 'clips' and marked by us electronically. But if the examiner can see that the writing continues out of the box then they can either (a) select an option to see the entire script scanned in its entirely, like a facsimile or (b) if (a) doesn't work, escalate the paper to a specialist marker. The one thing they do not do is simply not mark whatever is outside the box!

It's best to keep your text in the box/lines because it them means nothing has to be escalated or faffed about with. The lines are there for a reason. :smile: If you find you are regularly needing to write outside the lines/box, this is usually indicative of poor exam technique - the boxes/lines are sized such that there is enough space to write a 'perfect' answer without waffle and repetition.


This is such a relief. Thank you so so so much. I hope you have a brilliant day, you wonderful, wonderful person. Thank you.
I am doing my GCSEs at the moment and I'm super worried that my answers will be discarded as lots of my answers continued below the lines provided. My hand writing is super big and spread out so this is always a problem for me. I never like to ask for more paper as it takes up time and I'm always worried it won't be clear which question I'm referring to on this paper. On the exam paper, will my answers still be marked even if it said "turn over for the next question" and I wrote like a bit below and before this? If not I have failed OMG. Also, sometimes I crossed out an answer and rewrote it below. Will this be marked? Im super scared now ahhh. Thanks for the help.
Original post by Reality Check
I am an AQA examiner. This is the biggest myth surrounding exams. Answers are scanned in the form of 'clips' and marked by us electronically. But if the examiner can see that the writing continues out of the box then they can either (a) select an option to see the entire script scanned in its entirely, like a facsimile or (b) if (a) doesn't work, escalate the paper to a specialist marker. The one thing they do not do is simply not mark whatever is outside the box!

It's best to keep your text in the box/lines because it them means nothing has to be escalated or faffed about with. The lines are there for a reason. :smile: If you find you are regularly needing to write outside the lines/box, this is usually indicative of poor exam technique - the boxes/lines are sized such that there is enough space to write a 'perfect' answer without waffle and repetition.
Original post by amywalshh
I am doing my GCSEs at the moment and I'm super worried that my answers will be discarded as lots of my answers continued below the lines provided. My hand writing is super big and spread out so this is always a problem for me. I never like to ask for more paper as it takes up time and I'm always worried it won't be clear which question I'm referring to on this paper. On the exam paper, will my answers still be marked even if it said "turn over for the next question" and I wrote like a bit below and before this? If not I have failed OMG. Also, sometimes I crossed out an answer and rewrote it below. Will this be marked? Im super scared now ahhh. Thanks for the help.

Always make sure your answers are clearly linked to a question number. Try not to write outside the box, but things will be marked, even if you've not kept your writing in the box.
Ok thank you so much. That’s so relieving. My answers always just continue under that question so it’s clear to see what question they continue on from. Thank you for your help!!
Will it be scanned if we write the answer below the writing place because I realised my answer was wrong and I had to chop it and write the answer on the space available next to it.
Thank you but I wrote a question realised it was incorrect and then wrote in in the blank space that was available on the page next to it with the question mark. Would this be counted.
Original post by Reality Check
I am an AQA examiner. This is the biggest myth surrounding exams. Answers are scanned in the form of 'clips' and marked by us electronically. But if the examiner can see that the writing continues out of the box then they can either (a) select an option to see the entire script scanned in its entirely, like a facsimile or (b) if (a) doesn't work, escalate the paper to a specialist marker. The one thing they do not do is simply not mark whatever is outside the box!

It's best to keep your text in the box/lines because it them means nothing has to be escalated or faffed about with. The lines are there for a reason. :smile: If you find you are regularly needing to write outside the lines/box, this is usually indicative of poor exam technique - the boxes/lines are sized such that there is enough space to write a 'perfect' answer without waffle and repetition.

Hi, I have just done my a level physics exam, there are two questions I am really worried about that might not get marked, firstly I realised that I had wrong answer so I had to shade my previous method. you know for numerical questions there is an answer line to put your answer, my method and working out went a bit below that (but didn't go outside of the box) would my working that went below that line get marked? I'm really stressed about them, because I'm sure my answer to those two are right just worried if they won't get marked. thank you.
(edited 1 year ago)
Original post by Reality Check
I am an AQA examiner. This is the biggest myth surrounding exams. Answers are scanned in the form of 'clips' and marked by us electronically. But if the examiner can see that the writing continues out of the box then they can either (a) select an option to see the entire script scanned in its entirely, like a facsimile or (b) if (a) doesn't work, escalate the paper to a specialist marker. The one thing they do not do is simply not mark whatever is outside the box!

It's best to keep your text in the box/lines because it them means nothing has to be escalated or faffed about with. The lines are there for a reason. :smile: If you find you are regularly needing to write outside the lines/box, this is usually indicative of poor exam technique - the boxes/lines are sized such that there is enough space to write a 'perfect' answer without waffle and repetition.


Hi,
On my recent GCSE English Literature Paper 2 I had to do Romeo and Juliet and Unseen Poetry. But after completing the Romeo and Juliet essay I said to myself I can write more but its better if I start with Unseen poems if I have time left I will come back to Romeo and Juliet so, I left a page blank and started my unseen poetry the page after, but after I didn't have time to go back to the Romeo and Juliet essay, so now I have 4 pages of Romeo and Juliet essay and a blank page and then started the unseen poems after the blank page. So, my question is will the computer scan my unseen poetry bit since there is a blank page before or will it just think that I finished there where the blank page is. Btw before handing my paper to examiner I quickly wrote on the blank page unseen poetry answer in the next page and I drew a box around it.
Reply 14
omg thank you so much i've been needing an answer to this too😭
Original post by Reality Check
I am an AQA examiner. This is the biggest myth surrounding exams. Answers are scanned in the form of 'clips' and marked by us electronically. But if the examiner can see that the writing continues out of the box then they can either (a) select an option to see the entire script scanned in its entirely, like a facsimile or (b) if (a) doesn't work, escalate the paper to a specialist marker. The one thing they do not do is simply not mark whatever is outside the box!

It's best to keep your text in the box/lines because it them means nothing has to be escalated or faffed about with. The lines are there for a reason. :smile: If you find you are regularly needing to write outside the lines/box, this is usually indicative of poor exam technique - the boxes/lines are sized such that there is enough space to write a 'perfect' answer without waffle and repetition.


Hello, so If I wrote out side the box, onto the blank paper, but within the border of where it says do not write her’, there is a possibility it won’t be marked?
Original post by Ellievanilla
Hello, so If I wrote out side the box, onto the blank paper, but within the border of where it says do not write her’, there is a possibility it won’t be marked?


Hi - I remember panicking about this so much when I did my GCSEs (about two years ago now). I'd written on blank space beneath the allocated lines in literally ALL of my exams for most of the questions. I then spent a lot of the summer worrying about whether it would be marked / affect my results!! However, I ended up getting all 9s and high marks in all my papers so I can only assume that they were able to mark everything - even the stuff that I'd written outside the lines.

So, moral of the story, is not to worry! The examiners will still mark things you wrote outside the lines, as long as it's within the border of the page.

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